Centrifuge



.to resist the hydraulic Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,351,708 CENTRIFUGE 7 George A. Rubissow, NewYork, N. Y.

Application October 31, 1941, Serial No.'417,305

" 4 Claims. (c1.23s 26) "This invention relates to a new method and device which will permit the use of very high hydraulic pressures. inside of a very thin container. It is generally known that containers for fluid matter have to be made so that they are able to safely resist thehydraulic pressure caused by the fluid matter therein, or, in the event that the container is submerged in the fluid, to be able pressure caused by the fluid outside of it.

The principle upon which this invention depends, is' based on a theory set forth in this specification. This theory presupposes that any solid material (which, for purposes of simplicity will be referred to as a flat plate) may be subjected in the following three Ways: Method 1.A flat plate made of solid material placed between two other flat surfaces made of solid material, and pressure applied through at least one of the said plates.

Method 2.A flat plate made of solid material placed between a surface made of solid material and a fluid matterwhich produces the desired hydraulicpressure.

Method. 3.-A flat plate made of solid material placed between two fluid matters, at least one of which produces the desired hydraulic pressure while the other serves as a resistor.

n Methodl, the plate is able to, resist a reiatively very small degree of compression which will cause itto break according to its modus of elasticity.

In Method 2, the same plate will break on a much higher degree of compression which, in this c'ase,'is caused by hydraulic pressure on at least one surface, and under certain conditions, the break will ,occur only when very great hydraulic pressure is applied.

In Method 3, following my theory, the plate cannot be broken at all no matter how great the amount of hydraulic pressure may be. Proof of this resides in the fact that the thinnest plate of "glass can be submerged in the deepest part of the ocean and it will not break, albeit there is afwater pressure equal to 9 kilometers of water height at the bottom of the ocean.

From' a scientific point of view, Method 3 appears contradictory as it is known that glass cannot resist high compression. My theory offers the following explanation therefor:

Any solid material can resist unlimited compression, i. e. many million tons of pressure can be exerted [on] one square millimeter without breaking it provided that the inter-molecular boundaries forming the'solid are not shattered.

solid-hence unlimited When a solid touches a solid, shattering of the inter-molecular boundaries is caused by the slightest pressure. In Method 3 where hydraulic pressure. is applied on both sides of a solid, the fluid cannot cause any shattering in the intermolecular 0r inter-crystalline boundaries of the pressure can be applied with safety.

The method anddevice herein described represents one of the practical applications of this theoryand is calculated to beof inestimable aid to industry in general. This method and device willbe described in relation to the containers for various kinds of fluid or semi-fluid matter used in centrifugal apparatuses. The centrifuge may be of orthodox type orof a type that centrifuges simultaneously in more than one plane, such as described in Rubissow U. S. Patent #2222266. It may also be anapparatus using centrifugation and simultaneous pulsation such as described in Rubissow U. S. Patent Nos. 2,286,381 and 2,325,019, or a centrifuge which consists of a wobble plate on the periphery ofwhich containers are mounted pivotally.

The above and further objects and. novel features will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expresslyunderstood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustrationonly, and are not included as a of the invention.

Figural is a schematical side-view partly in cross-section of a centrifugal machine with the device attached thereto.

Figures 2 and dare cross-sectional side-views of other embodiments of the device.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side-view with parts broken out of the device.

It is known that in the orthodox centrifuge, the containers holding the fluid or semi-fluid to be treated are generally put into a receiver, on the bottom of which rubber layers are provided to contact the bottom of the container. As the centrifugal pressure increases, the rubber is compressed accordingly. Without this precaution, the container would break at high speed.

It is known, 'as shown on Figure 1, that a container may be suspended in the receiver 8 in such a manner that a fluid or a semi-fluid of any desirable specific gravity i provided between the outer periphery of the container 1 and the inner periphery of the receiver 8, for which purpose definition of the limits a sufficient space 9 is provided between the walls of the container and the receiver. The container I is itself filled with another fluid or semifluid to be treated. It will be found advisable in many cases to choose the specific gravity of the container+fluid or semi-fluid therein so that it is substantially the same specific gravity as that of the fluid or semi-fluid interposed between the container and the receiver. As it will be diflicult in practice to provide such an ideal choice, resilient means ll may beadditionally provided on the bottom of the receiver as shown on Figure 1.

This resilient means may be made preferably of sponge rubber through which the fluid or semifluid may easily pass.

It is known that another arrangement as shown on Figure 4 may be used wherein an elastic washer I2 is interposed between the receiver 8 and the container 1, the elastic washer to be provided with communicating passages l3 to permit the fluid or semi-fluid to pass through. The bottom of the receiver 8 should be provided with a stopper [4 of any desirable shape, and also eventually provided with flange l5 and communicating passages IG.

Under certain conditions, the arrangement shown on Figures 1 and 4 may be submitted to any degree of centrifugal pressure without danger of damage or breakage of the walls ofthe container. Thus it will permit the use of glass for .the container which at present is possible only when low pressure is applied.

The herein described deviceoperate according to the described Method 3, and the walls of the container I are equal to the delineated example of 'a glass plate submerged in the ocean. The disadvantage of the above described known In this particular arrangement, the container '1 when inserted in the rubber container I I will not get wet because it does not come in contact with the rubber. A soft and very elastic rubber from which the container I! may be made can substitute in part for the semi-fluid matter hereinbefore described and while contacting under great pressure the surface of the container 1 made of solid material, the action will be substantially the same as described in Method 3.

On Figure 3 is shown one of the main embodiments of this invention wherein the fluid or semi-fluid 9 is put in a double-wall'rubber con- I tainer I8I9 having a double bottom 292|.

' of gas or input of the fluid or semi-fluid a.

devices is that the container becomes Wet from the fluid and has to be dried after each operation.

} This'invention as shown on Figur .2 has an elastic container I! provided inside the receiver '8. This container may 'be'made of ver thin rubher or of any other resilient or flexible material. If made of very thin rubber, the container may, if desired, be affixed on its top 18 to flanges 19 or be interposed between a pair of flanges '19 not shown on the drawing, being self-explanatory. The fluid'or semi-fluid 9 is interposedbetween the'rubber container IT and the receiver 8. The

container 1 with the -fluid'or semi-fluid to be treated therein, is placed into the rubber container-l1 whereby a relatively good actionispbtained.

The receiver may Joe-attached rigidly 'to the container as shown on Figure 2. In this'case, the specific gravity of the fluid or semi-fluid 22am the specific gravity of the fluid or semi-fluid 9 may be chosen substantially equal without tallr- .ing into considerationthe specificgravi t of the solid from which the container is made.

It the container 1, is freelyor. substantially freely suspended as shown on Figure l in'the, fluid 9; placed in the container 8, then the specific gravity of the fluid or semi-fluid Ill together with the specific gravity of the solid from which the container. 1 is made must preferably be substantially equal to the specific gravity of the fluid or semi-fluid 9. The resiliency ofeventual interposition of the resilient .means such as (2 or E2 ,and i 5 as shown on Figure 4 should be taken into consideration for determining the most advantageous relationship between the specific g-rav- ,ities. of the fluid and semi-fluids! and It, 01 22 .The inner wall of the double-walled container forms a flexible supporting pocket conformable to the contour of the centrifuge container, whereby the container is supported in operation by fluid pressure substantially equal to the fluid pressure of the liquid within the container at all speeds of rotation.

This latter arrangement operates substantially on the same principle as Method 3 except that the walls of the receiver 8 and of the container 1 do not become wet.

Another important feature resides in the level 22 of the fluid or semi-fluid It! in the container 1 being substantially thesame as the level 23 of the fluid or semi-fluid 9. The centrifugal force close to the levels 23 and 24 'causedby the gravity of the fluids 9 and illris substantially zero, therefore it is easy to adjust the level so that during the subjection of thedevice to centrifugal action, the centrifugal pressures in the fluids 9 and ID will be substantially the sameat correspondinglevels.

Havingnow ascertained and particularly described the nature of the "said invention and the manner in which it is to be performedldeclare that what I claim is:

1. A device for-the subjection of fluid or semifluid matter to centrifu-gation comprising a re- 'ceiver rotated'around a'shaft, a container placed in said receiver,afree space provided in between the outer surface of the wall forming said container and the-,innersurface of the walls forming said receiver,--a receptacle, said receptacle having a doubl wall and-made of rubber, the diam- "of said receptacle being sodimensioned that 'said container may be'pla'ced therein, a free space being provided in between said inner and outer walls of said receptacle and fllledwith :a"fl1iid orsemifluid substance.

' 2.. A device forthe subjection of fluid or semi flu'id matter to centrifugation comprising a receiver'rotated around a shaft, ac'ontainer placed in said receiver, a iree' spaceprovided in between the outer surface of the. wall forming said'con- ,taine'r and the i ner surfaceofthe walls forming said receiver, a .receptale, said receptacle having a double -wall and {made lof rubber, the diameter of the outer wall of. said-receptacle. being so dimensionedthat said receptaclelm'ay .be placed in said receiver, the diameter of. the inner walls of said receptacle being so dimensioned that said container. may beplaced therein, a free space being providedti-n .between said inner and outer wall'sjjoi said receptacle andjfilled with a fluid or serni flui'd substance, said-walls of said receptacle being interconnected at their top ends by suitable means provided therefor.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a centrifuge container of a carriertherefor comprising an impervious double-v walled fluid receptacle, the inner wall of which forms a flexible supporting pocket conformable to the contour of the centrifuge container to be pressed against said container by the pressure of fluid in the double-walled fluid receptacle whereby the centrifuge container is supported by fluid pressure, and a rotatable support for the carrier.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a. centrifuge container of a carrier therefor comprising an; impervious doublewalled fluid receptacle, the inner wall of which forms a flexible supporting pocket conformable to the contour of the centrifuge container to be pressed against said container by the pressure of fluid in the double-walled fluid receptacle whereby the centrifuge container is supported by fluid pressure, and a rotatable support for the carrier, said flexible supporting-pocket being made of thin rubber-containing material.

GEORGE gA. RUBISSOW. 

